Ranking Every World Cup Team After Four Days Because I Lack Patience
The sample size is tiny, the opinions are strong and I reserve the right to change every single one of these rankings tomorrow.
Four days into the World Cup is simultaneously the worst and best time to rank the teams we’ve see so far.
It’s the worst because we’ve seen exactly one match from half the countries in the tournament and therefore know almost nothing. In 2022, Saudi Arabia beat Argentina – the nation that wound up winning the whole thing – and then promptly failed to make it out of the group stage. The sample size is laughably small, and anybody pretending otherwise is lying to themselves.
It’s also the best time to rank teams because we know almost nothing.
This is the sweet spot for overreaction. Every goal feels monumental. Every mistake feels catastrophic. World-ending, in fact. One great performance turns a team into a dark horse, and one terrible outing sends an entire country spiraling into an existential crisis. As with most things I write, logic and reason are optional. Vibes, however, are mandatory.
This isn’t a power ranking. I don’t have an advanced model hidden somewhere in my apartment spitting out percentages. I’m not going to pretend that expected goals or possession statistics are the be-all and end-all of soccer analysis, even though I’ll absolutely reference them whenever it’s convenient for my argument.
This ranking is entirely subjective. These are the teams that have most exceeded – or failed to meet – my expectations through the first five days of the World Cup.
Note: This might be one of the longest articles I’ve ever written. If you don’t feel like you have the time or patience to read through it all, I understand. Feel free to use the chapter markers to skip to whichever countries you want to read about. Thanks so much for reading my work!
Additional Note: This article only contains the teams that played up until the conclusion of Sunday, June 14. If you came here looking for my thoughts on Cape Verde’s 0-0 draw against Spain, don’t worry – there will be something about that dropping in your inbox very soon!
24. Tunisia
Well.
That certainly was a football game.
I don’t really know where to begin with Tunisia other than to say that losing 5-1 to Sweden is bad enough. Firing your manager before the night is over somehow makes it worse. It’s the sort of move that’s so dramatic – that’s football for you – and reactionary that it almost circles back around to being admirable. Tunisia looked at an embarrassing defeat and collectively decided, “Yeah, we’re not doing that anymore.”
Unfortunately, the damage is already done.
The thing about the World Cup is that everybody is watching. Just because a game happened late into the night doesn’t mean nobody saw the disaster that occurred on the pitch. Because during the World Cup, every terrible performance becomes part of your country’s sporting history.
Tunisia definitely had one of those nights that will live in infamy throughout the entire land. Believe it or not, I actually thought this team had a chance to be scrappy entering the tournament. Not great, mind you, but annoying. The type of squad that drags better opponents into ugly matches and steals a point or two. Instead, they got run off the field by Sweden in spectacular fashion.
There’s obviously still time to change the narrative. But man, what a disastrous start.
23. South Africa
I feel bad putting South Africa this low because I genuinely didn’t have very high expectations to begin with. And yet somehow they still disappointed me.
Nothing went right against Mexico. The opening goal came off an absolutely horrendous turnover in their own end. Two red cards followed. The atmosphere at Estadio Azteca – sorry, “Mexico City Stadium” – grew louder and louder while South Africa looked increasingly overwhelmed by the moment. It was the kind of performance where every bounce goes against you, and every mistake compounds the previous one.
Still, the reaction by the general public afterward was a bit much.
People immediately started calling South Africa the worst team in the tournament, which seemed wildly premature and has since been proven incorrect. It is funny how soccer fans more than anybody else have a tendency to make sweeping declarations after 90 minutes.
Nonetheless, this wasn’t an encouraging result. Because while I didn’t expect South Africa to beat Mexico, I did want them to compete.
They didn’t.
22. Türkiye
This is why you don’t talk trash before the tournament.
Actually scratch that. I love when teams talk trash before the tournament. Sports are supposed to be fun for all involved, and the more bulletin board material we have floating around, the better. But if you’re going to declare that your squad is “more talented” and will “dominate” Australia, you’d better have something to back it up.
Türkiye did not.
The Socceroos came flying out of the gates and never really looked back. Turkey spent most of the match looking like a team that expected things to go its way simply because it had more recognizable names on the team sheet. Trust me, that’s never a good sign.
What’s frustrating is that I actually like Turkey quite a bit entering the World Cup. There was pace. There was creativity that had shone bright on the biggest stages in Europe. There was enough talent to make me think they could sneak into the knockout rounds and maybe even spring an upset or two.
Now I’m not so sure. One game doesn’t define a tournament, sure, but it can absolutely change how you view a team. Turkey entered the World Cup as a trendy dark horse. Right now, they just look lost.
21. Paraguay
I still don’t entirely know what to make of Paraguay. On one hand, losing 4-1 to the United States is objectively terrible. The Paraguayans looked shell-shocked for much of the evening as the Americans flew around SoFi Stadium like a team possessed. Their defense, which had been one of the stingiest in World Cup qualifying suddenly forgot how to defend. The midfield was overrun. The attack was nonexistent. In other words, it was just flat out ugly.
On the other hand, Paraguay beat both Brazil and Argentina during qualifying. This is not some minnow that accidentally stumbled into the tournament. They only allowed six goals during qualifying and spent the better part of two years proving they could compete with South America’s best.
That’s why this result was so shocking.
I expected Paraguay to lose to the United States, truthfully. The combination of the pro-U.S. crowd combined with the fact that the USMNT would be desperate to make a statement made it unlikely that Paraguay would be able to withstand the pressure. Yet I didn’t believe that embarrassment was in the cards. Turns out I was wrong.
20. Switzerland
Sports are so weird sometimes. Like bonkers weird.
Switzerland finished with 68 percent possession, 26 shots, seven shots on target and 3.25 expected goals against Qatar.
The final score?
1-1.
That is soccer at its most infuriating.
The Swiss absolutely dominated this game for long stretches. Every statistical category points toward a comfortable victory. Possession was theirs. Chance after chance arrived at Switzerland’s doorstep. They pinned Qatar in its own half and looked the superior side from almost the opening whistle.
And then they blinked.
One lapse, paired with one moment of brilliance from Qatar was all it took for all that dominance to mean very little.
I actually like Switzerland a lot, and it’s not just because they have a train network to rival all the train networks in the world. It’s because this is a team that consistently punches above its weight internationally, which is something I respect to the highest degree. They play organized football, rarely beat themselves and always seem to make life difficult for bigger nations. But this was a massive missed opportunity.
The World Cup is cruel like that sometimes. You can do almost everything right and still walk away disappointed.
19. Brazil
Maybe I’m crazy. Maybe Brazil is going to figure everything out and lift the trophy in a month’s time while I sit here looking like an idiot. But I wasn’t impressed.
The FOX broadcast kept insisting that Brazil still possessed that famous Brazilian flair. The commentators spoke about joga bonito as if it were an inevitability rather than something that has to actually appear on the field. I kept waiting for the magic to show up.
Apart from Vinicius Junior’s gorgeous equalizer, it never really did.
In fact, for the first 20 minutes, Morocco looked like the better team. Read that sentence again because it still sounds ridiculous. Morocco outplayed Brazil. They pressed harder, moved faster and created more danger. Brazil eventually settled into the match and looked more comfortable, but they never looked dominant.
And that’s a major issue, especially if Brazil hopes to take home some hardware when everything is said and done.
18. Ecuador
I don’t really know what to do with Ecuador, which is probably the most Ecuador thing I can say. (I think that was funnier in my head than it was in reality. Oh well).
The defense is good. I knew the defense was going to be good. It was good in qualifying, it’s good now and it’ll probably continue to be good for the remainder of the tournament. That’s not the issue. The issue is that every time Ecuador gets into the final third, I find myself wondering where exactly the goals are supposed to come from. It’s not that they’re incapable of scoring – they obviously are – but there just isn’t that guy who scares me. There’s no striker that makes me sit up in my chair and think, “Yep, this game is over.”
Maybe that’s unfair. But when I watch Ecuador, I see a team that’s solid and organized without necessarily being dangerous. That’s enough to make life miserable for opponents, and in a World Cup group stage that’s valuable. I just don’t know if it’s enough to make a deep run.
17. Czechia
They’re tall.
I know that’s not exactly groundbreaking analysis, but it was the first thing that popped into my mind while watching Czechia against Korea. Every corner kick and free kick felt like a legitimate scoring opportunity because the Czechs are absolutely massive. Their lone goal came on a header off a set piece, which felt about as predictable as the sun rising in the east.
Other than that, though, I don’t have a particularly strong opinion on them. And honestly, that’s just fine with me.
Not every World Cup team needs to be a dark horse or a disaster. Sometimes a team is just solid. Czechia is organized defensively, dangerous on set pieces and more than capable of making life annoying for everybody in its group. I don’t think they’re winning the tournament. Heck, they might not even make it out of the group. But I don’t think they’re crashing out in embarrassing fashion either. They’ll probably hover somewhere in the middle, pick up a result or two and give Mexico a headache when those two sides meet.
And if they score another header while doing it, well, I can’t say anybody should be surprised.
16. Canada
It’s always nice when a host nation performs well in its World Cup opener.
For Canada, that almost didn’t materialize. While Toronto Stadium was rocking, trying to single-handedly will their side to a win, Canada was in the midst of an all-out battle with Bosnia & Herzegovina that ultimately ended in a draw.
The funny thing is that the Canadians were flirting with disaster for much of the afternoon. Bosnia & Herzegovina punched first, and Canada kept wasting chance after chance. The crowd grew more anxious with every missed opportunity. It felt like one of those games that fans would spend years complaining about. Then, in the 78th minute, Cyle Larin rescued the day and etched his name into Canadian soccer history by helping secure the country’s first World Cup point.
I still don’t know how dangerous this team is, especially with Alphonso Davies sidelined. He’s the type of player who changes games by himself and not having him is a massive blow. But Canada survived. That’s all that matters for now.
15. Netherlands
I’ve met a shocking amount of Dutch people over the last year. If I had to guess I’ve met at least a small town’s worth of folks from the Netherlands.
Whatever the reason for the sudden surge of Dutch people in my life, I’ve become a fan of the Netherlands almost by accident. The orange-clad fans are amazing. The bus that follows the team around every tournament is one of the most absurd traditions in sports. And every Dutch person I’ve met has been overwhelmingly nice, which honestly feels unfair given how much cool stuff their country already has.
Their soccer team is pretty good too.
I expected more against Japan, though. A point against one of the tournament’s most exciting teams isn’t a bad result by any stretch of the imagination, but the Dutch had opportunities to put that match away and simply couldn’t do it. That’s the frustrating part. I think this team has the talent to make a deep run. Virgil van Dijk remains a rock at the back and there are enough attacking pieces to scare anybody. But if you want to win the World Cup, you have to slam doors shut.
Japan kicked theirs back open.
14. Germany
There was a roughly 17-minute stretch versus Curaçao where Germany looked absolutely mortified.
Curaçao equalized midway through the first half and suddenly every camera shot of the German supporters became comedy gold. Nobody looked angry. Nobody looked sad. They looked embarrassed. There was this collective expression of, “Oh no, not again,” plastered across every face in the crowd. After the last two World Cups, can you blame them?
Then Germany remembered they were Germany. Six unanswered goals followed. The final score was 7-1, which, depending on where you’re from, is either a statement victory or the stuff of nightmares. Somewhere in Brazil, a cold sweat broke out for reasons nobody can quite explain.
Yet I still have doubts.
Germany dominated on paper, but it’s hard for me to erase those 17 minutes from my memory. The same fragility that plagued them in 2018 and 2022 was right there for everybody to see. If Curaçao can make them uncomfortable, what happens when they run into a legitimate contender?
Germany will get out of its group. That’s a certainty at this point. But I also think they might give their fans heart palpitations along the way.
13. Haiti
Sports are cruel sometimes. Like, really cruel.
Haiti deserved something from its match against Scotland. Maybe not a victory, but certainly a draw. The Haitians defended bravely, created chances and never once looked overwhelmed by the moment despite the fact that this was the country’s first World Cup appearance in 54 years. Considering everything Haiti has endured politically and socially over the past several decades, the fact that this team is even here is remarkable. The World Cup is filled with stories like that, and Haiti might have the most powerful one of all.
Therein lies the reason why this result stings so much.
For 90 minutes, Haiti fought tooth and nail against a Scottish side that was equally desperate to make history. There were stretches where Haiti looked like the better team. There were moments where it genuinely felt like they might pull off something magical. Instead, they walked away with nothing.
Well, almost nothing. This tournament isn’t always about trophies or wins. Sometimes it’s about proving you belong on the same field as countries with bigger budgets, deeper talent pools and decades of World Cup experience. Haiti did that. And while they might not have any points to show for it, they’ll always have my respect.
12. Qatar
Nobody has exceeded my expectations more relative to where I thought they’d be than Qatar.
Now, before anybody loses their mind and yells at me, I’m not saying Qatar is good. I’m not saying they’re going to make the knockout rounds, though the possibility of that miracle increased ten-fold following their draw versus the Swiss. I’m certainly not saying they’re going to go on some magical run to the quarterfinals. What I am saying is that after the disaster that was their home World Cup four years ago, I expected them to look completely overwhelmed on this stage again. To their immense credit, they didn’t.
In fact, they spent most of Saturday afternoon hanging on for dear life against Switzerland and somehow found a way to steal a point. Qatar barely had the ball and barely created any meaningful chances. Yet when the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 1-1 and the Qataris celebrated like they’d won the whole tournament.
Qatar spent four years hearing that it didn’t belong at this level. And while one match doesn’t erase all that criticism, it does suggest that the team is a far more competent operation than it was in 2022.
11. Curaçao
Where were you when Curaçao was level with Germany?
No seriously, where were you?
Because for 17 glorious minutes, the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup had the Germans sweating bullets. Fans in blue shirts were losing their ever-loving minds. The players were flying around the pitch like they belonged. And for just a brief moment, it felt like one of the greatest upsets in soccer history might actually happen.
It didn’t, of course.
Germany went on to win 7-1 in a blowout. That’s the part people will remember years from now. What I’ll remember is the moment that an island with roughly the same population as Waco, Texas, had one of the premier footballing nations on the edge. That’s incredible, and it’s something I’ll never forget.
I don’t know how far Curaçao can go in international football moving forward. Maybe this is their peak or perhaps it’s just the beginning. But I do know this: for 17 minutes, they were on top of the world. And nobody can ever take that away from them.
10. Côte d’Ivoire
I’m currently pursuing my MBA at the University of North Texas, and this past semester we worked on a project with the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL), a semi-professional league here in the United States that sits fairly low on the pyramid. Throughout that project, I kept hearing about a kid named Yan Diomande. Every single person involved with the UPSL echoed some variation of the same story.
“This kid is unbelievable.”
I nodded along politely, not wanting to step on any toes.
I get it now.
Four years ago, Diomande was playing high school soccer in Florida while also appearing in the UPSL. Now he’s starring for Côte d’Ivoire at the World Cup and appears destined for the Premier League, where somebody is going to pay an absolutely obscene amount of money for his services. Watching him play the other day was eye-opening. He’s absolutely electric. Every time he gets the ball, something interesting is going to happen.
And the best part is that he’s not alone. Côte d’Ivoire has some serious juice.
No, I don’t think they’re winning the World Cup. Let’s all calm down for a second. But I definitely believe they can make life miserable for one of the giants later in the tournament. After all, Africa has produced some fantastic stories over the years, from Senegal in 2002 to Morocco in 2022.
Maybe Côte d’Ivoire is next.
9. Mexico
I still don’t entirely trust Mexico.
That probably says more about me than it does El Tri, but I can’t help it. I’ve spent too many years watching this team dominate CONCACAF alongside the United States only to come crashing back down to earth when expectations start to rise. The infamous fifth game has haunted Mexico for decades, and until they finally break through, there will always be a part of me waiting for the other shoe to drop.
A lot of that doubt began to wane during Mexico’s opening match against South Africa. As 80,000-plus people packed Estadio Azteca – one of football’s most prestigious cathedrals – I saw glimpses of the vision. Even as the crowd was growing reckless – there were stretches where fans were booing their own team despite leading 1-0, which is just Mexican soccer in a nutshell – I was drawn to the atmosphere and the expectations. But it still wasn’t enough.
Then Raul Jimenez scored.
Given everything he’s been through – including the loss of his father just a few months ago – it was impossible not to feel emotional watching him celebrate. The stadium erupted. Teammates mobbed him. Jimenez himself couldn’t contain his emotions as the tears streamed down his face. Suddenly, all the tension began to melt away.
Mexico isn’t winning me over just yet. But it’s a start.
8. Bosnia & Herzegovina
This was probably the most pleasantly surprising performance of the tournament so far. I expected Canada to control the match. Conversely, I expected Bosnia & Herzegovina to sit back and hope for the best. Instead, the Bosnians punched first and spent the rest of the afternoon frustrating an entire nation that believed that the afternoon would be their footballing coronation. Bosnia’s defensive organization was outstanding. The back line bent but rarely broke. And every set piece felt just a tiny bit more dangerous than expected.
That’s not a coincidence or an accident. Teams like Bosnia know exactly who they are. They’re not trying to outskill countries with bigger budgets or more star power. They’re trying to drag games into the mud and see who can survive. That’s not always pretty football, but it can be incredibly effective if executed properly.
I love it. The World Cup needs teams like Bosnia & Herzegovina. Not everybody can play like France. Sometimes the most entertaining matches are the ugly ones, where every inch of grass feels contested and both sides are fighting for their lives.
Bosnia & Herzegovina may not be a world beater. They are absolutely a problem, though.
7. Sweden
Talk about an offensive explosion.
I don’t think anybody saw Sweden putting five goals past Tunisia, least of all me. This was supposed to be one of those sneaky tricky matches where Sweden grinds out a 1-0 victory and everybody immediately forgets it happened. Instead, the Swedes showed up and turned the game into a rout.
The craziest part is that Sweden only had seven shots on target. Five goals on seven shots on frame is absurd efficiency, the kind of stat that usually makes me roll my eyes because it’s almost impossible to sustain from game to game. For one glorious evening, however, Sweden looked more unstoppable than me beelining toward the food court at an Ikea. Every attack felt dangerous while every mistake Tunisia made was ruthlessly punished.
Let’s not get carried away with ourselves and say that Sweden is a title contender here. That’s not likely in the slightest. But I do believe this team is far more dangerous than their FIFA ranking would suggest. The upcoming matches against Japan and the Netherlands should tell us if this was just a blip on the radar or who they actually are, but either way, the Swedes have earned my attention.
6. Scotland
To my absolute chagrin, I’ve never been to Scotland. I don’t own a kilt. I couldn’t tell you the first thing about haggis other than the fact that it exists and apparently people eat it willingly. Yet by the time Scotland’s match against Haiti was over, I was ready to run through a brick wall for a country I’ve never laid my eyes upon.
Now that’s the power of the World Cup.
The lasting image from Scotland’s 1-0 win won’t be the goal. It won’t be a save or a tackle or some tactical adjustment that swung the game. It’ll be the sound of tens of thousands of Scots belting out “Flower of Scotland” at Gillette Stadium. I’ve watched a lot of sporting events in my life, and I genuinely don’t know if I’ve ever heard anything quite like it. The passion was overwhelming. The joy was contagious. (Every time I’ve watched it I break into the most ridiculous smile.) It felt less like a football match and more like a family reunion 28 years in the making.
Scotland hasn’t been to the World Cup since 1998. An entire generation of fans grew up never seeing their country on this stage. Then they finally got here and immediately found a way to win. Was it pretty? Not particularly. Haiti arguably deserved a point. But Scotland survived, and survival is all that matters in tournament football.
For the first time ever, I think Scotland is making it out of the group stage. And if they do, the entirety of the country might spontaneously combust from happiness.
5. Korea
I’m trying very hard not to let my love for Son Heung-min influence this ranking.
I believe I’ve failed miserably.
Listen, I know there are objectively better soccer players in the world. I understand that Son is way past his prime and isn’t going to go down as the greatest player of his generation. I don’t care. He’s probably my favorite player ever. The man smiles constantly, works harder than everybody else on the field and has somehow remained universally beloved despite tormenting opposing defenses for more than a decade.
Plus, he called Tottenham Hotspur home for most of his career, which is a major boost to my adoration for him.
Go Spurs.
The rest of Korea isn’t half bad either. Their 2-1 victory over Czechia was an absolute treat. After conceding early on a set piece, the Koreans slowly took control of the match. The passing became crisper and the attacks became more threatening. And then, over the final 25 minutes, they finally broke through. The comeback felt inevitable by the end.
Korea isn’t scared of anybody. They play with the mojo necessary to make some noise at this World Cup. I’ve had them pegged as a dark horse for months now. Five days into the tournament, I’m feeling pretty good about that prediction.
4. Australia
Sometimes sports are petty.
Actually, scratch that. Sports are almost always petty.
That’s why I loved Australia’s opening match so much. Turkey captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu spent the buildup talking about how his side was more talented and would make light work of the Socceroos. Bad idea.
Australia’s Nestory Irankunda opened the scoring with an absolute rocket. Conor Metcalfe added another stunner later in the match. Australia played with an edge from the opening whistle, flying around the pitch like a team that had taken every pregame comment personally.
I love teams that embrace the chip on their shoulder. Australia knows it isn’t among the tournament favorites. It knows most casual fans couldn’t name more than one player, if any, on the roster. None of that seems to matter to them. The Socceroos are fast, organized and deadly on the counterattack.
Are they winning the World Cup? Probably not. Are they capable of ruining somebody else’s dream? Absolutely.
3. Japan
This is the dark horse.
Not a dark horse.
The dark horse.
I’ve been all in on Japan for a while, and the opening draw against the Netherlands only strengthened my conviction. The Dutch thought they had survived. Japan thought they still had a chance. That difference in mentality matters.
Daichi Kamada’s equalizer in the 89th minute was cinematic. That’s the only word I can think of to describe it. One second, Dutch fans were preparing to celebrate a hard-fought victory. The next, Kamada was sprinting toward the corner flag while Japanese supporters lost their minds in the stands of AT&T Stadium.
Japan is deep. They’re technical. They’re fearless. There’s a grit to this group that reminds me a little of Morocco in 2022. Everybody knows they’re talented, but I’m not sure everybody appreciates just how dangerous they can be.
And their fans rock. I don’t know how a country manages to simultaneously be one of the most polite societies on Earth and also become completely unhinged for soccer, but Japan has somehow figured it out.
2. Morocco
I spent the first 20 minutes of Morocco’s match against Brazil wondering if I had accidentally turned on the wrong game. Because surely the team dominating possession, winning loose balls and creating all the chances couldn’t be Morocco, right?
Wrong.
The Moroccans were sensational. That’s what impressed me the most. It wasn’t just the result. A draw against Brazil is nice and all, but Morocco looked like the better side for long stretches of the contest. Brazil equalizing almost felt like a relief for the Brazilians rather than a disappointment for Morocco.
That’s frankly insane.
I know everybody remembers Morocco’s run to the semifinals in Qatar. That was one of the coolest stories in recent World Cup history. But I think there’s a tendency to assume it was a fluke or some magical run that can’t be replicated.
I don’t buy that anymore. This team, at least in my opinion, might actually be better. One game illuminated that the confidence is still there. So is the chemistry. Add in fantastic defensive organization as well as an attack that has become more dangerous and everything might be coming up Morocco this summer.
1. United States
I have been waiting for this.
Not this ranking specifically, but this feeling of triumph.
I’ve watched the U.S. Men’s National Team for years now. I’ve watched them miss the World Cup entirely. I’ve watched them play uninspired soccer under multiple managers. I’ve watched Gregg Berhalter convince us that a 1-1 draw against Jamaica was somehow a positive result and then somehow gaslight us into believing that the process mattered more than the product.
As of June 15, 2026, those days feel very far away.
The United States didn’t just beat Paraguay – they obliterated them to Venus. This wasn’t a smash-and-grab victory where the Americans got lucky and hung on for dear life. We’ve seen a ton of those in our lifetimes as U.S. Soccer fans. No, this was an absolute clinic. Everybody was flying around the field. The passing was sensational. The attack was seamless and ruthless. The atmosphere at SoFi Stadium was so loud that it was hard to imagine how anybody could hear anything inside that building. For 90 minutes, the United States looked like a team that genuinely belonged among the world’s elite.
I’ve spent so many years defending this program to skeptics that I almost forgot what it felt like to simply enjoy watching them play. Soccer in America is supposed to be fun! It’s supposed to inspire hope! It’s supposed to make kids dream!
Against Paraguay, it was all of those things and more.
Maybe this is an overreaction to just one game against one of South America’s more average sides. Or perhaps it’s the first time that anybody in the United States has felt the kind of joy that only the World Cup can provide.